Off-Campus Housing

CSB Off-Campus Selection Process:

The Residential Life program at the College of Saint Benedict provides a four year residential experience of community living which supports and challenges our students with opportunities for personal and social growth. As a Benedictine, liberal arts college, we believe that living in a community is of central importance to the student experience and all students are required to live on campus. This policy began with all students who enrolled as first year students at the College in the fall of 2010.

CSB Off-Campus Selection Timeline:

October 15 - Deadline for students to sign up for Off-Campus Selection Process

All group members need to apply for off campus and all need to mutually accept each other on the form.

November 15 - Notification of release from Off-Campus Selection

December 15 - Deadline for students to accept/decline offer to live off campus

Exceptions to the Residency Requirement:

If a student submits the Off-Campus Housing Application and meets one or more of the following criteria, she will automatically be granted off-campus residency status for the academic year or term(s) for which she applied. The criteria are:

Students who are married or who have dependent children living with them

Students who are over the age of 23 on the first day of fall semester or who have attended 8 or more semesters as a full time college student

Part -time students (those enrolled for 12 or fewer credits)

Students doing internships, clinical or student teaching more than 20 miles from campus

Students with a medical condition that cannot be accommodated on campus provided that documentation from health care professional is submitted to support the request

Appeal to Be Released from the Residency Requirement

In addition, students who do not meet the criteria above may appeal to be released from the residency requirement in any of their four years to live at their permanent home address if located within 20 miles of the CSB campus. These requests for release from the residency requirement will be considered on a case by case basis. Submitting an appeal does not guarantee that off campus residency will be granted. Appeals to Be Released from the Residency Requirement are due October 15 each year for the following academic year. To appeal to live at home please see the steps outlined below:

In their appeal students will need to demonstrate a clear plan for how they will become (or remain) an involved and active member of the community at CSB while living at their permanent home address

Students will need to demonstrate some unique circumstance (medical, financial, other) that can be documented and would require an exception in comparison to other local students.

Off-Campus Selection:

Members of the rising junior and senior cohort who do not qualify through the above criteria but wish to apply for off campus residency status may apply for the Off campus Selection each year. Submitting an application or participating on off campus selection does not guarantee that off campus residency will be granted. If you have not been granted permission to live off campus and are found to be off campus, you may be billed room and board. To avoid these problems, please fill out and submit the application for Off campus Selection. Sign Up for the process is due October 15.

A limited number of students will be released from the residency requirement each year. Student may apply as individual* or as a group. If students are applying as a group, all members need to apply and must mutually accept each other on the form. Students may only enter into the selection process once each year (either as an individual or as a group).

Living groups may be comprised of an individual or up to six members. Groups will be released based on the best number in their group (just like the room selection process each spring). Each individual will be assigned a selection number upon which the selection process will be based. Selection numbers will be assigned to students randomly within their respective cohort groups. Your cohort group is the group of students who began college in the same year. This selection number will be used for both on and off campus selection processes throughout the year.

Eligibility:

Only students classified as members of the rising junior and senior cohorts will be eligible for release in the junior/senior live off process.

Students must be in good academic standing (those on academic probation are not eligible).

Students on disciplinary probation are not eligible for release.

Students who are placed on either academic or disciplinary probation following the release process may lose their eligibility to live off campus and may be required to live on campus in housing available at that time.

Release from the residency requirement will be offered based on the best selection number in your group.

Individuals may seek release on their own, or the person with the best number in the group can pull up to five requested roommates in the process with her off campus - all roommates must request one another for this to work.

A selection number may be used only once in the Off-Campus Selection process.

Students may only apply to the Off-Campus Selection process once, either individually or as part of a group.

Group applications should include all members of the group for the entire academic year - you will need to identify Fall Only and Spring Only members (those who hope to be abroad etc.). The release will be based on the selection numbers of those there for the fall (those who are there for the whole year and fall only). Spring roommates will be pulled into the group based on the success of the fall group's application.

A student may decline an offer for release however, if they were part of living group, it will only be possible for the living group to include another rising junior or senior as part of the group if they are approved from the off campus wait list.

Students/Groups approved for release will be given no less than two weeks from the date of offer to accept or decline the release. No student will be given an extension. Students who miss the deadline will be required to add their name to the wait list if they still wish to be released.

Students accepting release are required by the College to provide the address at which they will be living and a phone number at which they can be contacted when they return their accept/decline offers on/by December 15.

Students/Groups who apply by deadline and are not approved through the Off-Campus Selection will be wait-listed by selection number

Students/groups applying October 16 or later (but before on campus selection) will be wait-listed by time and date of submission.

The Off Campus Waiting List becomes void as of the on campus room selection process. Following room selection, groups or individuals who wish to be on the off campus waiting list may add their names to the post room selection waiting list.

Students on the wait list will only receive release offers if and when it is determined that additional space is required in College-owned housing.

Students are not approved to live off-campus until an offer is made and an acceptance letter is submitted. Students who do not follow this process and sign a lease off-campus will find themselves responsible for that lease as well as the Campus Housing Agreement (lease) and all fees associated with campus housing- having a signed off-campus lease does not grant you release from the residency requirement and you should not sign an off-campus lease without an offer of release in the Off-Campus Selection process.

Related Links

The Off Campus Selection Form and the Appeal from Residency Form are found on the Housing Portal